FAIRFAX, Va. — The legislative action arm of the National Rifle Association (NRA) is asking its members and supporters in Alabama to contact their state representative and urge them to support a bill that would recognize a law-abiding gun owner’s right to have a concealed handgun in their vehicle without first obtaining a government-issued permit.
The law, SB 14, would extend the so-called Castle Doctrine into an individual’s car. “No one is required to have a permit to keep a handgun in his or her house. The Castle Doctrine states vehicles are an extension of a person’s home,” Bill Sponsor Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) explained. “Therefore, adults should have the right to carry a pistol in their car without a permit.”
Allen’s bill will not allow prohibited persons to possess a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
SB 14 passed the the state senate on Tuesday with a 27-7 vote, but still needs to pass in the state house and be signed by the governor. Supporters of the bill hope President Barack Obama’s executive actions on gun control will provide impetus for the state government to actually pass the bill into law this year.
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“If an individual can lawfully own and possess a firearm, they should not have restrictions placed on their ability to exercise their fundamental right to self-defense outside of their home and in their vehicle,” said Catherine Mortensen, NRA Spokesperson. “On behalf of the NRA’s members across the state of Alabama, I want to thank Senator Gerald Allen for sponsoring this pro-freedom bill. Senator Allen is a true friend of the Second Amendment,” concluded Mortensen.
The Alabama Sheriffs Association has opposed the bill in previous legislative sessions, saying it would make law enforcement officers’ jobs more difficult and could lead to more incidents of road rage. They also noted that sheriffs would lose some of the revenue they receive through pistol permits, which helps to fund their departments.
However, the NRA contends that a person’s fundamental right should not be conditioned by government-imposed time delays and taxes.
